ECHA Publishes Tips on Chemicals Information Exchange for REACH
April 24, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
On April 24, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published a fact sheet for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) that provides registrants tips on how to get started in substance information exchange fora (SIEF).
A SIEF is formed by companies that intend to register the same substance in order to facilitate data sharing between companies, thereby avoiding duplication of studies and unnecessary animal testing.
Industry has made ECHA aware that there have been difficulties in getting some SIEFs started and potential problems with communication between members.
In response, ECHA recently chaired a meeting of industry associations and staff from the European Commission. The meeting sought to discuss the problems that had arisen, clarify the requirements of SIEF members and help ensure sharing of best practices.
The linked fact sheet is a result of the meeting and presents the key advice that arose from it.
SIEFs have a critical role to play within REACH and ECHA wants to do what it can to try to ensure they succeed in sharing and assessing data, as well as preparing the common parts of the registration.
At the same time, ECHA would like to remind companies that SIEFS are independent - they are not "owned" by ECHA.
ECHA encourages owners of preregistered substances who intend to register these substances to get involved in the most appropriate SIEF as soon as possible, as the deadlines are tight. If such owners don't have a valid registration by the appropriate deadline, their manufacture or import of that chemical will need to cease.
For more information, see REACH Fact Sheet - Getting Started in SIEFs - Top Tips.
Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).